On 6th April we Lucia Carassiti & Lindsey Martin come and talk to some of our Engineering students about women in engineering and how they made their careers in JLR, as there are 3 female students taking our Engineering Course this year, and engineering is traditionally thought of as ‘a man’s job’.

They spoke about the different avenues that the students could take in order to have a career in engineering. They made it extremely clear that it doesn’t matter what you studied, as long as you like a challenge and have the determination to learn new things, then you have a chance within the company. They also explained that you did not need a degree to get a job there you could start as an apprentice after college and work your way up.

They did mention that there are a still a minority of women who work within the company, so much so that when taking a company photo, all of the women had to stand at the front because they wouldn’t have been noticed otherwise. However, there are senior management team members that are female and there is currently a female apprentice who is doing exceedingly well, so much so that they are considering offering her a job once her time is up, as well as other female workers all across the college.

They explained that having women within the company is preferable to males as they are capable of a lot of the same work, but have a different attitude toward things. For example where men might get angry and irritated, women may remain calmer. The mix in genders creates a better working environment; women within the company have the same opportunities as men and are just as skilled. They explained that women are given a year from work full pay when they have a baby and are supported in any changes to the work pattern they may need.

Lindsey had the chance to work on the car from James Bond’s Spectre and was in charge of the whole electrical system as well as a number of other super cars. Once the talk had concluded, 2 of the girls from the Engineering course spoke to Lucia & Lindsey for some time about how to get into engineering.